I can understand that you'd like to see an MMO. I can even sees you thinking people need to grow up and not whine about it. What I can't for the life of me understand is how the MMO would have "more depth in game mechanics, more serious combat system and more challenging boss encounters. Oh yeah, and no more ebay economy."
And also how the MMO would be less of a no-brainer than a Diablo game.
I don't know about you, but everytime I play WoW I get tired of the really simple combat mechanics and the no-brainer play. All you do is hit the buttons in a row, the skill system is designed so that you don't even have to think about what button to push at what time. Only strategy is getting the group to work together well. If you play a solo quest, you'll see what I mean. There's no "hard challenge that I can beat if I try hard enough", there's just "I can beat this guy" or "I can't beat this guy".
WoW is a game of numbers. That means if you get your character strong enough you can win, no real skill required from the player. Okay, there's the occassional place and time where skill is required - or actually skillfull players who can kill things they shouldn't be able to.
Yes - this isn't true for all MMO's, but it is for WoW. And if it's true for WoW, it'll most likely be true for a Diablo MMO as well.
Lol bullshit. Taking down a boss in WoW for the first time can take months before a guild gains enough skill. After that it's smooth every time. It's all skill and no luck. In Diablo, if you can click a mouse a thousand times in a minute, you can kill everything - in fact, the rule about numbers and gear is the exact thing that applies here. Nihhilum didn't start doing Magtheridon with only 15 people on the second week of TBC's launch because they had uber gear. It's even said that D3 is designed so that "your grandmother can play it" or something along those lines.
Lol bullshit. Taking down a boss in WoW for the first time can take months before a guild gains enough skill. After that it's smooth every time. It's all skill and no luck. In Diablo, if you can click a mouse a thousand times in a minute, you can kill everything - in fact, the rule about numbers and gear is the exact thing that applies here. Nihhilum didn't start doing Magtheridon with only 15 people on the second week of TBC's launch because they had uber gear. It's even said that D3 is designed so that "your grandmother can play it" or something along those lines.
<3 you are right
and to all the WAR fanbois, WoW will look delicious after you CTD in the zergfest taht is WAR
I think D3 should do nicely for the storyline - there's not much more scope for extending it except to mislead us that the big D has been defeated only to come back yet again. That gets stale.
Anything more? Why not. WIII wasn't the end of that franchise. Perhaps WoD. Rather than prejudge (like the colour campaigners) I'll sit back and see what happens if indeed they go down this path. Intuition says it would suck but, hey, this is Blizzard and they have an excellent track record at getting things right. Let's not forget that!
A D movie would be nice too. Hopefully not rated for kiddie viewing. I want to see the blood spraying out of arteries and I want to see an assassin in her bikini in the Frigid Highlands having a wardrobe malfunction.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
So we've got over the problem of colour in D3. Great. Now let's argue about everything else not yet set in stone and help make this game simply great! Game on.
"We’re not saying this is the end of the ‘Diablo’ universe,
but we are trying to bring this storyline to a close"
Ok, they are trying to bring this storyline to a close.
Meaning there is more to the world of sanctuary than we've seen so far! PPl jump to quickly to the 'MMO' verdict.
The possibility of a new franchise set in sanctuary doesn't seem impossible, now.
Feels different when you actually read it, hey? Instead of just speed reading so you can make quick statements on a thread... No offence.
And while “Diablo III” ends the trilogy, fans needn’t worry — [I]it’s not the final curtain for “Diablo.”[/I] “We’re not saying [I]this is the end of the ‘Diablo’ universe, but we are trying to bring this storyline to a close,[/I']”
That is hint enough that they're up to something. And the only secret project they're working on so far and we know of is the Next-Gen MMO.
After i read the interview i thought of it as possible. And i liked some of the thoughts. I dont think of a possible Diablo MMO to be a WoW clone. I was thinking more of the user friendly style of WoW (as in User Interface, refined game mechanics, variety of places and quests - but with a darker setting that suits the franchise of course) with graphics similar to Age of Conan thats much more brutal and mature. Could work very well.
honestly, i am up for any expansion to the Diablo universe that they've created, but for now i'll be content with getting my hands on D3
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“There’s no going back now,” he said during an interview in a Manhattan hotel where Blizzard was showcasing their newest games. “We’re very happy with how the art style is. The art team’s happy. The company’s happy. We really like this art style, and we’re not changing it.” - Blizzard. :thumbsup:
Well its nice to hear that they intend to satisfactorily end the Diablo storyline, without dragging it through the mud like they did with WoW.
But I don't see any World of Diablo in that article. I think Wilson is just saying that they're keeping their options opened about future games after D3.
I dont see why everyone here hates the idea of an MMO. You people cannot afourd 15 dollars a month? You people do not like the fact that with an MMO, Blizzard can expand on the diablo universe soo much! Everything you read in novels, you cannot put that into Diablo 3. You could easily do it with an MMO.
Hell, I wouldnt mind leveling in a Diablo MMO, getting to max level, taking a red portal with a raid of 40 people, and kicking the shit out of Diablo! Or going back to see how the Horadrim started.
I think for most of you people here, you like the fact that with Diablo you can play alone and be bored as shit while some may escape the lives they live, that they do not enjoy. How could you not like the fact of playing a social game and having a good time?
I play World Of Warcraft, I raid all high end content, and it is very fun!
Yes. I want to play a Diablo MMO, because I can think of all the great things Blizzard can do with a Diablo MMO.
How epic is it as playing single player, and beating the hardest boss in the game by your self?
While the fight lasts 1 minute.
Or how epic would it be to fight the hardest boss in the game, with 40 people having an intense fight, with NPCs helping you?
Or how epic would it be to fight the hardest boss in the game, with 40 people having an intense fight, with NPCs helping you?
Or how epic it would be to fight the hardest boss in the game with an entire guild having an intense fight, with the boss changing 20 forms and lasting more then 18 hours of pure damage, your guild members becoming ill, not being able to defeat it and calling it off?
I would like to see a prequel to Diablo I, that would be pretty cool. Seeing all that happens before Diablo I would be sweet.
An MMO based on Diablo/Sanctuary lore would also be pretty badass! If it's anything as WoW is (as far as endgame raiding goes.. like sunwell or naxxrammas).. it'd be fun and a challenge. Taking 25-40 people to a dungeon to down a [new?] prime evil would be really cool. And we could see all the places in sanctuary that we arn't able to see in the traditional game.
@ Synthaza... Only the truly hardcore would spend 18 straight hours on one boss fight in one day. IDK how it works in the Final Fantasy MMO, but in WoW you have a whole week to defeat a boss before the whole raid dugneon resets. Usually it takes alot of preperation, coordination, skill and trial and error to down a new raid boss, not to mention you need gear that's up to that dungeon's difficulty, unless its a pushover boss.
You're not guarenteed to get down a new boss in within your first week, it takes practice. But you're never going to need to spend 18 hours in one day. One you get that boss the first time, it becomes eaiser for your guild.
Or how epic it would be to fight the hardest boss in the game with an entire guild having an intense fight, with the boss changing 20 forms and lasting more then 18 hours of pure damage, your guild members becoming ill, not being able to defeat it and calling it off?
pretty epic
I heard the new mmo is a new IP though, remember that blizzard loves some misdirection
remember when this forum was all "LOL NO ITS A WRATH OF THE LICH KING ANNOUNCEMENT"
man that was hilarious
I do hope it is revealed at blizzcon, just like, "Oh here is the 3 remaining diablo 3 characters, AND our new MMO is world of half life"
Um, NPC's are going to be helping you in DIII- I'm assuming as a fan you've actually read about the game. Depressing.
No game deserves more than initial payment. It's not that I can't afford it, it's that games are becoming an economy, not a past time, which is the definition of a game. That is wrong. I don't care if "blah blah blah then they can afford to improve it blah blah blah". If you say that, you know nothing about Diablo II's sales to this day. It's sold out a week, at most, after a new shipment. It topped the charts after Diablo III was announced. Now it's digital, sure, but I'm willing to bet my soul that it still sells wonderfully. Not to mention people getting their CD Keys banned left and right for being idiots, and then having to buy another.
They've earned millions from the sales alone of Diablo II- more than enough for server upkeep and anythign else they'd need. Sure, it doesn't rake in billions- billions is excessive, they have all they need in the millions.
I don't hate MMO's, no. I'm still waiting for a good one. P2P, though is stupid. It's just like saying "because something is more expensive it's better".
Lastly, it's not an MMO they're talking about. That would be bad financially, marketing 2 games for the same franchise. If they are ever going to make one for Diablo, it will be a long while down the road. No, this is most likely an expansion, just like they did for Diablo II. Just like they did for the Warcrafts, for Starcraft, and for WoW.
I'm considering it a possibility that they're only rapping up the Diablo (as in Diablo the Prime Evil) lore in Diablo III, and the expansion is going to ease in new lore without Diablo. They probably realized that having Diablo revived and powerful again in every game is rehashing the same story, which no one likes and is a sign of weakening creativity. Not to say that Diablo III will have that probablem- they'll probably have him go out in a bang.
i wouldnt mind seeing a diablo MMO. could be quite interesting and fun to play if done right. but i dont think thats what the next gen mmo will be. most likely something completely different. we still have probly 2 years until D3 comes out, maybe dec. 09 if we are rediculously lucky but i doubt it. and then possibly a year after that an expansion. so like 3 more years just to get to the end of "this diablo storyline." personally i would like to see blizzard do something completely different for their next mmo... give us something fresh and new to play. instead of the same old, kill stuff, grab loot, kill boss, grab loot, kill players, get honor, get loot... start new character, repeat.
edit: possibly a true horror mmo.. something that truely just creeps you out when you play it, gives you the chills and puts you on edge every minute your playing, never knowing what to expect. diablo was a little earie at first, but nothing that would have me turning on the lights in my house because it was so disturbing. haha, i think that would be a fun mmo.. something truely scary... makes you jump in your seat while playing
No game deserves more than initial payment. It's not that I can't afford it, it's that games are becoming an economy, not a past time, which is the definition of a game. That is wrong. I don't care if "blah blah blah then they can afford to improve it blah blah blah". If you say that, you know nothing about Diablo II's sales to this day. It's sold out a week, at most, after a new shipment. It topped the charts after Diablo III was announced. Now it's digital, sure, but I'm willing to bet my soul that it still sells wonderfully. Not to mention people getting their CD Keys banned left and right for being idiots, and then having to buy another.
Its not like they cant afford to keep developing it, thats not the point of having to pay at all. Its all the services they provide to you after you pay. Hack free environment, technical support 24/7, protection against harassment too.
In fact the people getting their CD Keys banned left and right for being idiots as you mentionedbanned just for what you said. They ruin the game experience for the rest of us that pay just to have fun. And personally that i'd like implemented in Diablo III too. not the pay to play aspect, but the permanent ban of the cd-key (and the accounts created with it if we make the accounts like in Diablo II) of people that have been reported for harassment.
To keep such a support team for every continent they need thousands of people and guess what! they dont work for free! Thats where the money goes. Game Masters, Technical support and more. Development pays off with the sales of each expansion usually.
They've earned millions from the sales alone of Diablo II- more than enough for server upkeep and anythign else they'd need. Sure, it doesn't rake in billions- billions is excessive, they have all they need in the millions.
they do, yes. But how many are complaining about lag, hacks and dupes and stupid offensive people on battle.net? Too many, i know, i used to complain myself, but then i quit and found a "healthier" environment even though the setting isnt the most suiting for me (WoW).
Also company income gives them strength to develop games for a longer time than most other (if not all - except those making Duke Nukem Forever thats been like 15 years now? :P) companies to make sure the game ends up to be as awesome and bug free as it can be on release.
I don't hate MMO's, no. I'm still waiting for a good one. P2P, though is stupid. It's just like saying "because something is more expensive it's better".
answered to "because its more expensive its better" on the previous post. It could work the opposite way, though: "because something's cheaper, its not necessarily worth it".
Speaking of the multiplayer aspect of Diablo 2 that kept it alive all these years and the lack of patches that everyone kept complaining about, it could be much better if it was funded much. But apparently for some reason that couldnt be done.
Lastly, it's not an MMO they're talking about. That would be bad financially, marketing 2 games for the same franchise. If they are ever going to make one for Diablo, it will be a long while down the road. No, this is most likely an expansion, just like they did for Diablo II. Just like they did for the Warcrafts, for Starcraft, and for WoW.
ahem, World of Warcraft was announced right before Warcraft III was released. They did what you say it would be bad financially. And it paid off. Warcraft III is still very popular and WoW... well you know about WoW.
I'm considering it a possibility that they're only rapping up the Diablo (as in Diablo the Prime Evil) lore in Diablo III, and the expansion is going to ease in new lore without Diablo. They probably realized that having Diablo revived and powerful again in every game is rehashing the same story, which no one likes and is a sign of weakening creativity. Not to say that Diablo III will have that probablem- they'll probably have him go out in a bang.
That makes more sense to me than anything else you said. I always liked to think how he'd manage to come back but you cant have him do that forever. The novels created quite a few more evils and i have the feeling we'll get to see more of those, if not only on this game, certainly on the next one.
Its not like they cant afford to keep developing it, thats not the point of having to pay at all. Its all the services they provide to you after you pay. Hack free environment, technical support 24/7, protection against harassment too.
It doesn't take billions of dollars to do that, mate. You use billions of dollars to build mansions, not develop code and higher 20 or so people for live help.
In fact the people getting their CD Keys banned left and right for being idiots as you mentionedbanned just for what you said. They ruin the game experience for the rest of us that pay just to have fun. And personally that i'd like implemented in Diablo III too. not the pay to play aspect, but the permanent ban of the cd-key (and the accounts created with it if we make the accounts like in Diablo II) of people that have been reported for harassment.
Yeah, so no issues there, I'm guessing?
To keep such a support team for every continent they need thousands of people and guess what! they dont work for free! Thats where the money goes. Game Masters, Technical support and more. Development pays off with the sales of each expansion usually.
Um, no- it doesn't take thousands of people to moderate hacks and dupes. It takes efficient programming- otherwise you're just fighting a fire with a gasoline-soaked tissue. Programming is what's needed for Diablo. I'm not saying you're drawing conclusions from way by the following argument, but I think it's true: Diablo has been said repeatedly by developers that it's a fast instant action game, designed to be played hard instantly, specifically for the people who can't sit for endless hours because of jobs, family, real life, etc. (although I do this with Diablo II, anyway.) WoW, and all games like it, are designed to be real time consumers- it's how they make their profit. They're designed to be sit down and play with single characters for a long time. There's no problem with that.
The difference comes here- people playing Diablo with the instant-action mentality are not going to want to be constantly going to customer relations to deal with problems- they want the problems not to exist in the first place, or be easily fixable (which can be done with good programming, something that's very hard with 2D games like Diablo by nature because the engine doesn't automatically do a lot of things that 3D engines do.)
WoW people, on the otherhand, obviously have the time to do stuff like that. It's slower.
they do, yes. But how many are complaining about lag, hacks and dupes and stupid offensive people on battle.net? Too many, i know, i used to complain myself, but then i quit and found a "healthier" environment even though the setting isnt the most suiting for me (WoW).
See above.
Also company income gives them strength to develop games for a longer time than most other (if not all - except those making Duke Nukem Forever thats been like 15 years now? :P) companies to make sure the game ends up to be as awesome and bug free as it can be on release.
And that's how crappy games are made- when you're basing development on money. Diablo I came out when, 1997 or something? Diablo II in 1999/2000? LoD came out in 2001, I know. That was back when the developers were really dedicated- they didn't have millions or billions yet. Given, Diablo III needed an entirely new engine, which takes a long time to build, even with a lot of people working on it. More programmers does not mean faster programming, either, since all programmers use different mark-up, which would make a large number of programmers actually work slower.
answered to "because its more expensive its better" on the previous post. It could work the opposite way, though: "because something's cheaper, its not necessarily worth it".
Um, that would be the same thing.
If something is expensive, it's worth it.
If something is cheap, it's not.
They're obvious ends of the same spectrum. They go hand in hand.
Speaking of the multiplayer aspect of Diablo 2 that kept it alive all these years and the lack of patches that everyone kept complaining about, it could be much better if it was funded much. But apparently for some reason that couldnt be done.
Once again, the problems weren't easily fixable, least of all by patches. If you know some awesome super patch that can fix everything, then make it and send it to them. If not, you have no right to say that. The errors are in the game itself, its infrastructure and engine, which cannot be fixed by patches. It would require a ton more data, for finding the problem areas, creating entirely new data (for engines and base-coding for games, this is nearly impossible without threatening the integrity of the program(s) feeding off it) to suplement the erased data.
All previous patches did what patches are intended to do- fix small things, like stats, skills, items (new item data is not hard- it's just a series of strings and occasionally a new image- most images are just pre-loaded images with color strings applied to them so no new image is necessary), monster data (see the previous paranthesized sentence), and so on.
Changing things like lag duping- where an immense amount of lag is created to duplicate things- are engine problems. Things like MH are along the same line, although they have released a series of minor patches that fix up the protection system on the servers (Warden) which keeps a careful eye out for certain types of manipulations that are readable by it, but it has limits, since it doesn't have access, nor can safely get access to without infringing on privacy policy of Blizzard, your computers direct running data (because by definition it would be a third party program accessing your files and observing them, instead of just loading in new data, it's invading privacy.)
ahem, World of Warcraft was announced right before Warcraft III was released. They did what you say it would be bad financially. And it paid off. Warcraft III is still very popular and WoW... well you know about WoW.
Lol, they're as different as black and white- story, characters, playability- the fact one is an RTS and one is an RPG (MMO-style.) There's a big difference there.
That makes more sense to me than anything else you said. I always liked to think how he'd manage to come back but you cant have him do that forever. The novels created quite a few more evils and i have the feeling we'll get to see more of those, if not only on this game, certainly on the next one.
<3 you are right
and to all the WAR fanbois, WoW will look delicious after you CTD in the zergfest taht is WAR
Anything more? Why not. WIII wasn't the end of that franchise. Perhaps WoD. Rather than prejudge (like the colour campaigners) I'll sit back and see what happens if indeed they go down this path. Intuition says it would suck but, hey, this is Blizzard and they have an excellent track record at getting things right. Let's not forget that!
A D movie would be nice too. Hopefully not rated for kiddie viewing. I want to see the blood spraying out of arteries and I want to see an assassin in her bikini in the Frigid Highlands having a wardrobe malfunction.
It'd be like:
- Zayl, right?
- Yeah, how'd you know?
- Oh I've heard much about you...
Ok, they are trying to bring this storyline to a close.
Meaning there is more to the world of sanctuary than we've seen so far! PPl jump to quickly to the 'MMO' verdict.
The possibility of a new franchise set in sanctuary doesn't seem impossible, now.
Feels different when you actually read it, hey? Instead of just speed reading so you can make quick statements on a thread... No offence.
That is hint enough that they're up to something. And the only secret project they're working on so far and we know of is the Next-Gen MMO.
After i read the interview i thought of it as possible. And i liked some of the thoughts. I dont think of a possible Diablo MMO to be a WoW clone. I was thinking more of the user friendly style of WoW (as in User Interface, refined game mechanics, variety of places and quests - but with a darker setting that suits the franchise of course) with graphics similar to Age of Conan thats much more brutal and mature. Could work very well.
But I don't see any World of Diablo in that article. I think Wilson is just saying that they're keeping their options opened about future games after D3.
Hell, I wouldnt mind leveling in a Diablo MMO, getting to max level, taking a red portal with a raid of 40 people, and kicking the shit out of Diablo! Or going back to see how the Horadrim started.
I think for most of you people here, you like the fact that with Diablo you can play alone and be bored as shit while some may escape the lives they live, that they do not enjoy. How could you not like the fact of playing a social game and having a good time?
I play World Of Warcraft, I raid all high end content, and it is very fun!
Yes. I want to play a Diablo MMO, because I can think of all the great things Blizzard can do with a Diablo MMO.
How epic is it as playing single player, and beating the hardest boss in the game by your self?
While the fight lasts 1 minute.
Or how epic would it be to fight the hardest boss in the game, with 40 people having an intense fight, with NPCs helping you?
Just my 2 cents.
http://www.destructoid.com/final-fantasy-xi-boss-causes-vomiting-takes-18-hours-to-beat-99391.phtml
http://petfoodalpha.com/?p=1055
Just my $0.02.
I don't hate MMO's or anything.
An MMO based on Diablo/Sanctuary lore would also be pretty badass! If it's anything as WoW is (as far as endgame raiding goes.. like sunwell or naxxrammas).. it'd be fun and a challenge. Taking 25-40 people to a dungeon to down a [new?] prime evil would be really cool. And we could see all the places in sanctuary that we arn't able to see in the traditional game.
@ Synthaza... Only the truly hardcore would spend 18 straight hours on one boss fight in one day. IDK how it works in the Final Fantasy MMO, but in WoW you have a whole week to defeat a boss before the whole raid dugneon resets. Usually it takes alot of preperation, coordination, skill and trial and error to down a new raid boss, not to mention you need gear that's up to that dungeon's difficulty, unless its a pushover boss.
You're not guarenteed to get down a new boss in within your first week, it takes practice. But you're never going to need to spend 18 hours in one day. One you get that boss the first time, it becomes eaiser for your guild.
pretty epic
I heard the new mmo is a new IP though, remember that blizzard loves some misdirection
remember when this forum was all "LOL NO ITS A WRATH OF THE LICH KING ANNOUNCEMENT"
man that was hilarious
I do hope it is revealed at blizzcon, just like, "Oh here is the 3 remaining diablo 3 characters, AND our new MMO is world of half life"
No game deserves more than initial payment. It's not that I can't afford it, it's that games are becoming an economy, not a past time, which is the definition of a game. That is wrong. I don't care if "blah blah blah then they can afford to improve it blah blah blah". If you say that, you know nothing about Diablo II's sales to this day. It's sold out a week, at most, after a new shipment. It topped the charts after Diablo III was announced. Now it's digital, sure, but I'm willing to bet my soul that it still sells wonderfully. Not to mention people getting their CD Keys banned left and right for being idiots, and then having to buy another.
They've earned millions from the sales alone of Diablo II- more than enough for server upkeep and anythign else they'd need. Sure, it doesn't rake in billions- billions is excessive, they have all they need in the millions.
I don't hate MMO's, no. I'm still waiting for a good one. P2P, though is stupid. It's just like saying "because something is more expensive it's better".
Lastly, it's not an MMO they're talking about. That would be bad financially, marketing 2 games for the same franchise. If they are ever going to make one for Diablo, it will be a long while down the road. No, this is most likely an expansion, just like they did for Diablo II. Just like they did for the Warcrafts, for Starcraft, and for WoW.
I'm considering it a possibility that they're only rapping up the Diablo (as in Diablo the Prime Evil) lore in Diablo III, and the expansion is going to ease in new lore without Diablo. They probably realized that having Diablo revived and powerful again in every game is rehashing the same story, which no one likes and is a sign of weakening creativity. Not to say that Diablo III will have that probablem- they'll probably have him go out in a bang.
edit: possibly a true horror mmo.. something that truely just creeps you out when you play it, gives you the chills and puts you on edge every minute your playing, never knowing what to expect. diablo was a little earie at first, but nothing that would have me turning on the lights in my house because it was so disturbing. haha, i think that would be a fun mmo.. something truely scary... makes you jump in your seat while playing
Its not like they cant afford to keep developing it, thats not the point of having to pay at all. Its all the services they provide to you after you pay. Hack free environment, technical support 24/7, protection against harassment too.
In fact the people getting their CD Keys banned left and right for being idiots as you mentionedbanned just for what you said. They ruin the game experience for the rest of us that pay just to have fun. And personally that i'd like implemented in Diablo III too. not the pay to play aspect, but the permanent ban of the cd-key (and the accounts created with it if we make the accounts like in Diablo II) of people that have been reported for harassment.
To keep such a support team for every continent they need thousands of people and guess what! they dont work for free! Thats where the money goes. Game Masters, Technical support and more. Development pays off with the sales of each expansion usually.
they do, yes. But how many are complaining about lag, hacks and dupes and stupid offensive people on battle.net? Too many, i know, i used to complain myself, but then i quit and found a "healthier" environment even though the setting isnt the most suiting for me (WoW).
Also company income gives them strength to develop games for a longer time than most other (if not all - except those making Duke Nukem Forever thats been like 15 years now? :P) companies to make sure the game ends up to be as awesome and bug free as it can be on release.
answered to "because its more expensive its better" on the previous post. It could work the opposite way, though: "because something's cheaper, its not necessarily worth it".
Speaking of the multiplayer aspect of Diablo 2 that kept it alive all these years and the lack of patches that everyone kept complaining about, it could be much better if it was funded much. But apparently for some reason that couldnt be done.
ahem, World of Warcraft was announced right before Warcraft III was released. They did what you say it would be bad financially. And it paid off. Warcraft III is still very popular and WoW... well you know about WoW.
That makes more sense to me than anything else you said. I always liked to think how he'd manage to come back but you cant have him do that forever. The novels created quite a few more evils and i have the feeling we'll get to see more of those, if not only on this game, certainly on the next one.
It doesn't take billions of dollars to do that, mate. You use billions of dollars to build mansions, not develop code and higher 20 or so people for live help.
Yeah, so no issues there, I'm guessing?
Um, no- it doesn't take thousands of people to moderate hacks and dupes. It takes efficient programming- otherwise you're just fighting a fire with a gasoline-soaked tissue. Programming is what's needed for Diablo. I'm not saying you're drawing conclusions from way by the following argument, but I think it's true: Diablo has been said repeatedly by developers that it's a fast instant action game, designed to be played hard instantly, specifically for the people who can't sit for endless hours because of jobs, family, real life, etc. (although I do this with Diablo II, anyway.) WoW, and all games like it, are designed to be real time consumers- it's how they make their profit. They're designed to be sit down and play with single characters for a long time. There's no problem with that.
The difference comes here- people playing Diablo with the instant-action mentality are not going to want to be constantly going to customer relations to deal with problems- they want the problems not to exist in the first place, or be easily fixable (which can be done with good programming, something that's very hard with 2D games like Diablo by nature because the engine doesn't automatically do a lot of things that 3D engines do.)
WoW people, on the otherhand, obviously have the time to do stuff like that. It's slower.
See above.
And that's how crappy games are made- when you're basing development on money. Diablo I came out when, 1997 or something? Diablo II in 1999/2000? LoD came out in 2001, I know. That was back when the developers were really dedicated- they didn't have millions or billions yet. Given, Diablo III needed an entirely new engine, which takes a long time to build, even with a lot of people working on it. More programmers does not mean faster programming, either, since all programmers use different mark-up, which would make a large number of programmers actually work slower.
Um, that would be the same thing.
If something is expensive, it's worth it.
If something is cheap, it's not.
They're obvious ends of the same spectrum. They go hand in hand.
Once again, the problems weren't easily fixable, least of all by patches. If you know some awesome super patch that can fix everything, then make it and send it to them. If not, you have no right to say that. The errors are in the game itself, its infrastructure and engine, which cannot be fixed by patches. It would require a ton more data, for finding the problem areas, creating entirely new data (for engines and base-coding for games, this is nearly impossible without threatening the integrity of the program(s) feeding off it) to suplement the erased data.
All previous patches did what patches are intended to do- fix small things, like stats, skills, items (new item data is not hard- it's just a series of strings and occasionally a new image- most images are just pre-loaded images with color strings applied to them so no new image is necessary), monster data (see the previous paranthesized sentence), and so on.
Changing things like lag duping- where an immense amount of lag is created to duplicate things- are engine problems. Things like MH are along the same line, although they have released a series of minor patches that fix up the protection system on the servers (Warden) which keeps a careful eye out for certain types of manipulations that are readable by it, but it has limits, since it doesn't have access, nor can safely get access to without infringing on privacy policy of Blizzard, your computers direct running data (because by definition it would be a third party program accessing your files and observing them, instead of just loading in new data, it's invading privacy.)
Lol, they're as different as black and white- story, characters, playability- the fact one is an RTS and one is an RPG (MMO-style.) There's a big difference there.
Yep.